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Profile
I taught Ancient Greek language, philosophy, and mythology in universities from 1985 to 2006. Between 1995 and 2019, I was the CEO and founder of a craft (micro) brewery called Paddock Wood. From 2016 to 2023, I taught Communication Theory at the University of Saskatchewan. In 2023, I retired from university teaching, but continue to teach ESL here on Italki. Currently, I spend half a year in Calabria, where I have a house. I love Italian music! I have a 9-hour playlist on Spotify.
Learning
Czech
Italian
Language Skills
EnglishNative
Greek (Ancient)Native
German
Interests
Art
Travel
Music
History
Reading
Lesson Feedback
Teacher reviews
Simona Di Profio
Italian
Sep 3, 2026
Che piacere questa prima chiacchierata con Steve! Con un bagaglio culturale come il suo la conversazione vola, e lavorare sull'italiano diventa davvero interessante. Comprende già bene e padroneggia anche le strutture più complesse. Grazie per la piacevole chiacchierata e a presto!
Grazia
Italian
Oct 15, 2025
È stato un piacere chiacchierare con Steve! Ha raggiunto un buon livello di padronanza dell’italiano e sono felice di accompagnarlo nel suo percorso di apprendimento.
Romana
Czech
Jan 22, 2025
It was a pleasure to have a lesson with Steve! His enthusiasm for languages and grammar, along with his polite and curious nature, made the session truly enjoyable :)
Silvia Pronello
Italian
Jun 28, 2022
Ti auguro un magnifico viaggio, Steve!! Mi raccomando, goditi ogni singolo giorno in Italia, raccogliendo tante esperienze e usando il tuo italiano con coraggio e fierezza. Non vedo l’ora che mi racconti tutto! A prestissimo ♥️🇮🇹
Activities
  • Answered
    In the first case “my plan is” + infinitive describes what the plan is. Here = to create a surprise. What is the plan for? In the second case, the participle does not describe the goal of the plan, but rather describes what the plan is like. It is creating a surprise.
    0 voted
    April 24, 2022
    2
  • Answered
    It would depend on context, but it can be used in isolation. After giving a talk to my class, I often say, “any questions?”
    0 voted
    April 14, 2022
    1
  • Answered
    1. Implies that it is still open when you arrive but perhaps people are in the process of packing things away. 2. Implies the doors are locked when you arrive.
    0 voted
    April 4, 2022
    1
  • Answered
    It might be more efficient to go to fast.com. That will give you a good idea of upload and download speeds.
    0 voted
    March 31, 2022
    1
  • Answered
    English Grammar in Use by Raymond Murphy is good. Cambridge Grammar for IELS with Answers by Diana Hopkins
    0 voted
    January 21, 2022
    1
  • Answered
    A proper reply requires more time and space than what we have here. You might be better off asking for a class. There are minor punctuation errors, but there are bigger details to correct. In the second line, the word "problems" needs "bring" (not "brings"). In the third line, typs > types, for example.
    0 voted
    January 21, 2022
    0
  • Answered
    "slept" is a past participle and would need a different auxiliary. "How have you slept this past week?" "How did you sleep last night?"
    0 voted
    January 21, 2022
    0
  • Answered
    If I do a very good job on something or do something very well, I might say that I "take pride in my work" or "I take pride in doing careful work." In this case, I think the person is placing things on a plate carefully or artistically; hence, taking pride in the presentation.
    0 voted
    January 21, 2022
    0
  • Answered
    I could do this review for you today or this weekend.
    0 voted
    January 21, 2022
    0
  • Answered
    It could depend a bit on the context, but in the first sentence, I wonder what was awarded. Was it first place or a bronze medal? In the second case, maybe their innovation or customer satisfaction was recognized by X.
    0 voted
    January 21, 2022
    0